Matterport’s 3D Camera Goes to Wonderland

When we were creating the Matterport 3D media platform, we often wondered how artists and photographers might use our technology to deliver a new perspective to their audience. Photography, after all, became an art form in its own right only a few years after the invention of 2D camera.

That’s why we’re very pleased to see the fusion of fashion and glamour photography from Dan Smigrod, chief photographer at We Get Around, contributing as a guest blogger. Dan used the Matterport Pro2 3D scanning camera and cloud platform to create a “fusion of living-art, fantasy, and technology” inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for the ARTlanta Tech Village. Below, Dan talks about his aims, some of the reactions he’s getting and his experience with using the platform.

“In this example of Matterport’s 3D Showcase, reality meets fantasy-living-art storytelling. My Alice – Model/Artist Trini Quinn – shows up in unexpected spaces in four unexpected personas.* (Try entering from the floor plan or doll house views and 'walk' in a different direction.)

“Imagine my excitement when a We Get Around client – without hearing my vision – emailed me:

"Wow! I felt like I was following Alice down the rabbit hole. The model added a great artistic element. I love art + tech fusion. That's what "STEAM" [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics] is all about, right?"

“This three-dimensional virtual tour includes surprise-and-delight-inviting-moments-in-time that are reasons to come back and experience the 3D showcase again and again, and a fun and engaging reason to tell friends and colleagues to experience Atlanta Tech Village.

“In a recent Matterport blog post, CEO Bill Brown writes, ‘we believe that photography is an incredibly powerful communication medium that is an integral part of our lives on a daily basis. Photography expands our horizons and delivers information about the world that otherwise we would not have.’ I echo Bill's view and suggest kicking it up a notch with artistic muses to "make [real estate] listings more immersive and engaging." If you transform a multi-story building in an Atlanta neighborhood known for its artistic community, what better way to showcase the space to potential retailers, restaurants and shoppers than adding models, artists, dancers and musicians that reflect the community?

For this Alice in Wonderland  experience at Atlanta Tech Village, my muse is Model/Actress Trini Quinn. Kicking up the goddess-in-Trini, was the super-talented Make-Up and Hair Artist Kaitlin Pruett and  Model Beth Drury helping style Trini.  Model Kate Biddle provided set assistance.

"What I love about this fusion of art and technology is that we amplified a medium design to showcase real estate. It's Google Street-View-Like-Viewing-Experiences-on-Steroids.

“Creating art that entertains, surprises and delights in fun and unexpected ways while people make confident decisions about places to buy, lease, renovate and build is a world I could not imagine before the invention of the Matterport platform. Now, I cannot imagine Matterport 3D Showcases without living art. [Even if we end up capturing and creating 3D Showcases without muses, our clients at least have this living-art-meets-real estate-visual-storytelling option.]

“With four different Trini looks – outfits, hair and make-up – it took 15 hours to capture Trini; and then 2.5 hours without Trini and crew for me to fill-in some transition sweeps. Before I headed home at 12:30 am, I set my iPad to upload to the Matterport cloud. Then, hours later – when I stepped into my office – I received an email from Matterport letting me know that ARTlanta Tech Village 3D Showcase was ready to share with the world.

*For fashionistas, here's how Trini describes her four different looks that she created for this art project:

• The Mod Girl 

• The Femme Fatale (the high- bun with black top and black chiffon skirt and stilettos) 

• The Sweet One (cranberry crop top; pink flower crown and pink pleated long skirt) 

• The Fashionable Boss (the first look: with the striped bell skirt and magenta shoes)